


Madrugada

by RivetingFabrications



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I missed writing jayroy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-30 16:30:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6431839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RivetingFabrications/pseuds/RivetingFabrications
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy wakes up to find Jason missing from their bed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Madrugada

**Author's Note:**

> The English language is horribly equipped for terms meaning things such as the darkest part of the night, so I gave up and went for Spanish. Madrugada doesn't really mean that, of course, but it seemed suitable given the content. Please enjoy, I missed writing jayroy a lot.

He wasn’t sure what woke him up, but when Roy rose to awareness he became conscious that he was alone. At first that didn’t worry him – for a man of his bulk Jason could move soundlessly even while extricating himself from Roy’s sleeping embraces, but after a few lazy, timeless minutes, it became apparent that it wasn’t just a bathroom break or a midnight snack. Sighing, Roy allowed the warm comfort of the eiderdown slip down his shoulders as he hefted himself up, the quilt pooling at his hips as he swung his legs out of bed. Padding softly, he carefully edged out of the slightly ajar door, glancing down the lightless corridor. The bathroom door was wide open, with no signs of use.

“Jaybird?” he called out softly. The kitchen entrance was dark as well, and there was no response as he treaded around the apartment on bare feet. Then he smelled the pungent scent of cigarette smoke, Jason’s preferred brand. He tracked it to the small living room, filled with all of the metalwork scraps he was still tinkering around with, and with Jason barechested, silent, the nearly inaudible _snik_ and the flare of firelight from the lighter in Jason’s carefully cupped palm. Roy thought back to when they had fallen asleep; Jason hadn’t had a nightmare, or Roy would have heard it.

The living room was cold, with February wind from the opened windows breezing through, and Roy estimated it’d been open for quite some time. Jason was leaning against the back of the chair with his side profile facing Roy, legs tucked against him, gaze unfocused and glassy as he stared into empty space.

“Jay, babe,” Roy whispered softly, heart squeezing painfully at the sight of Jason’s sad eyes. Jason barely shifted, but Roy knew the man had probably already sensed him moving from when he first crossed the bedroom threshold. “Did something happen?” Roy received an almost perceptible shake of Jason’s head, saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed thickly, exhaled tendrils of smoke that curled into forgotten ghosts. The ashtray on the coffee table had five stubs already extinguished into ugly ashes, discarded like chaff in the wind. It’d been empty this afternoon. Roy perched on the armrest, not enough to crowd Jason, but close enough to offer comfort.

“You know you can always wake me,” he whispered softly. The barest of nods. All Roy could hear were the unspoken, screaming words of _I didn’t want to disturb you_ and _it’s not worth your time, it’ll go away on its own in the morning, it’s nothing, I’m fine, it’ll pass, dammit Roy._

Daringly, Roy slowly reached out to stroke the bare stretch of skin between Jason’s shoulder blades, sliding the flat of his palm over scar tissue and goosebumps. He felt a faint tremor pass through Jason’s muscles. Recounting the day, Roy couldn’t think of anything that could have sparked Jason’s demons; yet then again, Roy thought wryly, that it was ridiculous, that even _he_ thought so wrongly that there _needed_ to be triggers for such fears to claw their way to the surface, to manifest themselves in Jason’s tired sleeplessness.

“I love you,” Roy said simply, the first thing that came to mind. “I always will.” Jason tensed. Roy forged on, hands never ceasing stroking Jason’s back in their endless, constant rhythm, trying to ground Jason, trying to call Jason back to him. He spared a sad smile at Jason’s haunted, haggard expression. Jason still hadn’t properly faced him yet, but Roy didn’t need him to, as much as he longed for it.

“I know you don’t want say it back, that you’re afraid of us parting someday. But it’s okay, even if you never do. Because I’ll wait for as long as it takes for you to understand that I’ll want you no matter what.” Roy’s heart ached a little. _The only thing stopping us from being more is_ you _, Jaybird_ , he held locked away inside him, despite his desire for the words to take flight from the tip of his tongue.

Under his touch, Jason’s muscles had slowly relaxed, tension bleeding from him like a raw wound. Roy felt brave enough to tap Jason’s shoulder, indicating he wanted the cigarette. For the first time that night Jason truly looked at him, expression helpless and pleading, and Roy wished he could do more. But Jason responded, allowing Roy to take the cigarette from his minutely trembling fingertips, and Roy felt a surge of relief that he was getting through. Roy took a long drag, tipping Jason’s head up as he held the smoke in his mouth, neck dipping down to brush his lips against Jason’s.

Jason’s mouth parted willingly, knowing what Roy desired, and Roy’s lips breathed smoke and air into Jason’s mouth, Jason all but drinking the burning kiss gratefully, accepting all that Roy gave. Roy repeated it once more as the cigarette burned itself out; when they traded air with quiet, calming kisses, Roy felt the last of Jason’s despairing walls crumble into cinders. Jason wound his fingers into the curls at Roy’s neck, holding him fast, breathed him in like he was everything and Jason was drowning.

At length, Roy slowly pulled back, dropping the remainder of the cigarette into the tray. Jason’s eyes were heavy-lidded, but the faded, hopeless gaze had disappeared, and Jason smiled a sad, slow curl of his lips that had Roy feeling giddy and internally soaring.

“Bed?” he breathed, and Jason nodded, his smile perhaps forced for Roy’s benefit, but it was enough, that he was here with Roy in this moment, and not locked away in his thoughts. Roy hefted him into his arms, grunting at Jason’s weight and bulk, but he carried him into the bedroom, depositing Jason on the bed as gently as he would have a woman. He drew the covers about their bodies once again as he slid next to Jason, curling an arm loosely around him. Not tight enough to trigger Jason’s survivalist instincts and cause him to twist out of his grasp, but enough that maybe – maybe one day, Jason would stay.

_I love you_ , he mouthed soundlessly, and perhaps a little helplessly, to Jason’s back. Though he gave no voice to his declaration, Roy was rewarded when Jason shifted closer, back pressing to Roy’s chest as they finally faded into a dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated <3 Wrote this when I was feeling sad and couldn't sleep :P
> 
> Also, check out my  [tumblr](http://rivetingfabrications.tumblr.com/) if you want to see more drabbles that aren't here because they're a little too short to clutter up my ao3.


End file.
